56 ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCHES 



great interest in the expedition and provided our travel- 

 lers with new recommendations , whereas from Mr. Ander- 

 son who has made several voyages throughout Liberia and 

 the neighbouring countries and published a report upon 

 these, they obtained much valuable information. 



After a short sojourn at Monrovia our travellers pro- 

 ceeded upon their journey , following the Mensurado Ri- 

 ver in a canoe as far as the creek which unites it to the 

 St. Pauls River , and then following the latter river till 

 they had reached their first station at the rapids, which 

 are situated no more than one third of a degree from its 

 mouth. Here they were very kindly received by the 

 reverend Mr. Day and his lady , an English missionary sta- 

 tioned at Milisburg , whose interest in the expedition proved 

 to be of invaluable service during the whole time the travel- 

 lers stopped on the banks of the St. Paul. 



From Milisburg they proceeded to Bavia, four hours' 

 march higher up the banks of the river and after as hort 

 stay, continuing along the right bank of the St. Paul, they 

 reached Soforé after a full day's march. 



From this point numerous and distant excursions were 

 made in all directions , in a primeval forest region only 

 traversed by narrow footpaths. Though neither suffering 

 much from fever nor from mosquitoes the rainy season 

 ruled during the whole summer with such uncommon force 

 and perseverence that collections could hardly be formed un- 

 der such circumstances. Undoubtedly this would have de- 

 cided them to leave the place as soon as possible but for 

 the astute cunning of the natives who refused to procure 

 them either food or carriers , thus retaining them in a sort 

 of captivity in order to be better able to rob the travel- 

 lers of anything they could lay hold of during the time 

 the latter were out on their shooting excursions. 



At last they were fortunately delivered out of this un- 

 tenable position by the efficient measures of Mr. Day and 

 so could return to Monrovia from whence they have sent 

 a first consignment of natural history collections to Europe. 



Notes ftrom the Leyden Mluseanai, "Vol. III. 



